First Settlers of Brighton

First Settlers of Brighton was presented by The History Guy at The Gates, near the entrance to Presqu'ile Park, on October 27, 2012. At that time, The Gates was the home of the Brighton Arts Council and was used for art displays and various events related to arts and culture. The intent of this presentation was to provide some specific information about several of the very early settlers who came to the Brighton area in the 1790s, long before the name Brighton was applied to the village that grew up there. Of course, we always have to include Obadiah Simpson who is considered the first settler of Brighton, but it also includes several families that were here before the Simpsons, although located within a ten mile radius, thus beginning the development of the wider community between Colborne and Trenton. A name seldom heard in this context is Alexander Chisholm who built the first saw and grist mills in the area, at the mouth of Butler Creek, as early as 1797. Asa Weller, the famous merchant and operator of the bateaux railway at Carrying Place is mentioned as are Aaron Greely, George Gibson, Charles Selleck, Josiah Wellington, Matthew Lawson, John D. Smith, John Bleecker, Henry Ripson, Jeremiah Bettes, Jeremiah Scripture, Joseph Keeler, Cyrus Richmond, Jacob Dingman and Daniel Masters. Download the paper below.